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Almost one in four adults in the UK now chooses not to drink alcohol, with a sharp drop in average consumption, a Lancet study shows.

The research found that while average intake is rising across the world, the trend is reversed in the UK.

The study, which tracked 189 countries for almost three decades, found that since 1990, per capita consumption has dropped by almost 10 per cent in the UK, from 12.6 to 11.4 litres of pure alcohol per year. The current figure equates to an average of 22 units a week per person - far beyond the recommended limit of 14 units per week.

However, much of of this is consumed by the most hardened drinkers, with almost a third of all alcohol sold in England consumed by just 4 per cent of the population, separate statistics show.

Just one in seven women and one in four men in the UK drink more than 14 units weekly.

The new study led by researchers from the TU Dresden shows that 23 per cent of adults aged 15 and over in the UK do not choose to drink alcohol.shows that 23 per cent of adults aged 15 and over in the UK do not choose to drink alcohol.

Other research has found the trend is particularly marked among the millennial generation, with “baby boomers” far more likely to drink alcohol, and to consume it at higher levels.

A spokesperson from the Alcohol Information Partnership, which represents the drinks industry, said: “Drinking levels in the UK have been falling for more than a decade with more people now drinking responsibly than harmfully. “This fall reflects our changing relationship with alcohol with the old negative stereotypes increasingly a thing of the past.”

John Timothy, chief executive of the Portman Group said: “This study aligns with existing trends in the UK showing a decline in harmful drinking patterns. UK alcohol producers are committed to playing their part to continue encouraging responsible drinking.”

Karen Tyrell, from drug and alcohol charity Addaction, said alcohol retained a “hold” on British culture, calling for a ban on advertising it.

She said: “Alcohol is soaked through our culture. The alcohol industry has set the terms of the debate for too long. Flashy marketing disguises an industry that doesn't do nearly enough to compensate for the harm it causes. We know that 4% of drinkers consume one third of the alcohol sold.”